The Walrus Says

BY JIM MUNRO

Some 40 artisans from all over the state will be on hand Saturday, Dec. 3, for the Conanicut Island Art Association’s 30th annual Holiday Art and Craft Fair in the Melrose Avenue School gym. Artist Alexandra Kent says the doors will open at 9 a.m., and that there will be a good balance of fabric creations, notecards, jewelry, pottery, Christmas stockings, ornaments, and greens and wreaths by Ruth Collins.

All items are handcrafted – it’s against the rules to have anything mass-produced or produced elsewhere. For the first time there will be on-site giftwrapping courtesy of members of the teen center who will be raising funds for Hasbro.

In addition to Alexandra, island artists will include Jillian Barber, Shirley Bell, Don Gillis and Jennifer and David Clancy. Nonprofit organizations selling items to raise money for their groups are the Humane Society of Jamestown, the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association and the Jamestown Education Foundation. Also, the eighth-grade class will have a bake sale with homemade treats. If anyone is interested in baking, please drop your baked goods off at the entrance to the Melrose Avenue School. If you have any questions about the bake sale, please contact Susan Baccari at sbaccari@cox.net or 423-1200.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

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On the same day at 4:30 p.m. the Jamestown Community Band, under the direction of Beth Clarke, will form up in the parking lot just west of the fire station and then proceed with the band members on their annual holiday stroll up and down Narragansett Avenue, stopping at stores along the way to serenade shopkeepers and shoppers with carols of the season.

Islanders who have played a band instrument in the past and still have the instrument and a lyre are invited to participate. Music will be provided.

Play on!

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Tickets for the Jamestown Community Chorus’ upcoming concert, “Favorite Choruses from Handel’s Messiah with Festival Orchestra and English Carols,” are now available and may be purchased in advance at Jamestown Hardware, The Secret Garden or Baker’s Pharmacy.

The concert takes place on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 3 p.m. at the Jamestown Recreation Center. There will be one performance only. Tickets are $18 general admission, $15 for seniors, students and children.

Tickets may also be reserved in advance through the chorus’ website at www.jamestownri.com/cho rus, or by calling 401-423-1574.

Sing on!

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Elizabeth Mancini was a wee late with the answer to the Nov. 17 poser, but has it right as the “Thanksgiving Song” by Mary Chapin Carpenter. But she was right on time with last week’s poser, “My Girl” performed by the The Temptations. Agreeing with her on the title are Debra Vierra Murphy, Dale Grogan of Wickford and Cheryl Fernstrom. Cheryl mistakenly had the artists as The Four Tops. The song was written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White in 1964.

George James thought the poser was from “I’ve Got Your Love” by Boz Scaggs. Sorry, George, try again.

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Cheryl Fernstrom also responded to John A. Murphy’s trivia question by responding, “I think Sherm Strickhauser’s theme song was ‘We’ll Meet Again,’ sung by someone from England, which Sherm ended his show with every day. Of course I could be totally wrong! Thanks for the challenge.” John said that Sherm did indeed end his show with “We’ll Meet Again,’ but he opened with his theme song, Glenn Miller’s “Sunny Side of the Street.”

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Welcome two 1-year-olds, Mindy and Sophie, that have taken up residence with Bill and Marlene Murphy. The cats were adopted from the Potter League for Animals. Marlene said, “We’re having a lot of fun with them.”

Meow!

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Poser:

What the people need is a way to make ‘em smile,

It ain’t so hard to do if you know how,

Gotta get a message, get it on through,

Oh, now mama’s go’n’ to after ‘while.

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Will someone let me know what all the fuss is about voter IDs? If individuals do not have a valid ID don’t let them vote. Period.

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If you want to take a break from all the Christmas hoopla this weekend, Troop 1 Boy Scout Finn Dwyer will be working on his Eagle project and can probably use an extra hand. On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. he’ll be at the Indian burial ground next to the town tennis courts removing hanging tree limbs and clearing out invading plant growth so it will be easier to see the gravesites. The next day, Sunday, he’ll be doing the same at the Fox Hill Farm next to the yellow house on Fort Getty Road from noon to 2 p.m.

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Speaking of Fort Getty, why is the town spending so much money and a lot of time deciding what to do with the site? Leave it alone – it works just fine.

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Will someone let me know when Christmas is over.

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Today is World AIDS Day and next Wednesday, the 7th, is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month and National Critical Infrastructure Protection Month.

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Be true!

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Call in your stuff to 829-2760 or 423-0383, or email me at jtnwal rus@hotmail.com. Thank you.